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Deicing fluids are used to remove and prevent ice formation on aircraft before takeoff. These fluids are essentially composed of water, a freeze point depressant (FPD) usually glycol, a surfactant or wetting agent and a corrosion inhibitor. All commercial fluids are qualified to SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) specifications, which test for aerodynamic acceptance, anti-icing endurance, corrosion inhibition, material compatibility, fluid stability and environment. However, these tests have been built around a fluid with a glycol FPD. More recently, with environmental pressure, fluids with other FPDs have been developed and qualified. The other FPDs include: acetates and formate salts, sorbitol, and other undisclosed FPDs. The acetates and formates, which came out in the early 1990s led to suspected corrosion problems. This led to the additional requirement for corrosion tests for non-glycol deicing fluids in paragraph 3.1.1 of AMS1424.

This study presents a new method to evaluate and compare the anti-icing performance, i.e., the ability to delay the reformation of ice, of runways and taxiways deicing/anti-icing fluids (RDF) under icing precipitation, based on the skid resistance values, obtained with the Portable Skid Resistance Tester (PSRT). In summary, the test consists of applying, on a standardized concrete pavement sample, a given quantity of de-icing fluid. Following this application, the concrete sample is submitted to low freezing drizzle intensities, in a cold chamber at −5.0 ± 0.3°C. The skid resistance of concrete is measured at 5 minute intervals, until the concrete becomes completely iced. The anti-icing performance of 5 different fluids, both experimental and commercial, was assessed in comparison with a reference solution of 50% w/w K-formate. The anti-icing performance is analyzed based on two parameters: the duration (Icing Protection Time, IPT) and the effectiveness of this protection.